Palm Sunday

What a beautiful beginning to Holy Week we had on Sunday, March 29.

Sacrament meeting was wonderful with musical numbers and talks. I was brave and did a solo with the choir. One sister played a harp number of "Amazing Grace" that was so beautiful and really brought the Spirit in.

Afterward we had light refreshments and socializing. 

The Primary gave Jet a picture and a bunny box containing thoughts to think about each day this week preparing for Easter. We have been reading those along with other scriptures and Holy week thoughts.

That evening, Nichole and I attended a fireside with Jon and Michelle Schmidt.

I've mentioned before how The Piano Guys music has meant so much to me, how it's helped me when going through some trials. I believe their music is inspired and their talents are from God.

That night's fireside invited the Spirit through music and testimony and I'm grateful, along with Michelle Schmidt, that we have been encouraged lately to recognize Palm Sunday more than in the past.

The chapel was even decorated with palm leaves and there were palm leaves on the floor to walk on. We waved palm leaves during the closing song.

Our Savior is for everyone and I am grateful He is such an important part of my life. 

Two Birds with One Stone

"Kristin the Human. What's your favorite color?" I waited all day for someone to call so I could answer the phone that way. December 18 is Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day. At the end of the day, I finally got my wish when Jeremy called so we could all do family prayer together. His response when I asked? "Green like a Christmas tree." Woohoo. While he was gone the kids and I watched the movie Elf and ate spaghetti... with spaghetti sauce... and maple syrup on it. That's what Buddy gives his dad's wife for breakfast in the movie. I told the kids they all had to have sauce on the spaghetti since we were doing it because of the movie. They all did even if for some it was very little. My pickiest eater kept coming back for more helpings (including the sauce).

Every year I'm determined to read A Christmas Carol to my kids. I've never read the whole book to them even though I try practically every year. This year, though, I am doing it- a little bit every day. We're almost finished. Tonight I sat down with the kids in front of The Piano Guy's Yule Log and when we were ready we muted the music and I read to them. #LightTheWorld says, "Make time for children like Jesus did. Read a beloved children's story to a child."

Like the Summer Reading Program, we're now doing a Winter Reading Challenge with the Provo Library, since the kids will have two weeks without homework during Christmas vacation to read. One of the activities is to "read a book by the fireplace." Ta-da. Two birds with one stone.

A Rough December

Being sick stinks.  Being sick in December double stinks.
Out the window went a lot of our December traditions (and you know we like our traditions).  Light the World didn't go so well.  Our Countdown to Christmas scripture study didn't go so well.  Sigh.  Oh well.
Even though we didn't do as much service as we wanted to do, we gave others the opportunity to give us service.  Thanks to those who brought us meals.  Thanks to those who brought us various treats and gifts.  Thanks to my husband who did so much even when he wasn't feeling well.  Thanks to my dad who listened to me vent on the phone when I was having a hard time.  Thanks to my sister and niece who gave me a surprise visit, helped bring groceries in from my van, gave us homemade bread, and really lifted my spirits that day so I could face Christmas.  Thanks to all the choir members who assured me they were hitting the right notes when my hearing was totally messed up from an ear infection (and for singing so beautifully on Christmas Eve morning).  Thanks also to our choir pianist who played so wonderfully.  Thanks to friends who invited us over when we were feeling better (mostly... not contagious at least).  Thanks to Santa for his surprise visit to the kids one night.  Thanks to so many for prayers as well.
Sigh.  So now I'll tell about some of the things we did get done in December (not everything, especially since there were a couple weeks where I just didn't do anything but stare at the ceiling, sleep, and read books).

I went to watch the boys sing Christmas songs at school.

Jr. Jr. brought home a candy house on his last day of school before break.

One night, there was a knock on the door.  We could hear some bells outside and one of the kids looked out the window and said, "It's Santa."  Well, Santa came to see the kids.  Lucky was asleep on me on the couch so Jeremy picked him up so we could get a picture of him with Santa even if he was asleep.  Lucky woke up on Santa's lap and didn't freak at all.  Instead he climbed off Santa's lap and said he wanted a hug.  So he got a hug from Santa and of course didn't remember at all the next morning that it had happened.

My sister and niece brought over homemade bread and let me talk their ears off and gave me hugs.  I love family.

We finally got around to celebrating Lucky's birthday since several of us were sick on his actual birthday.

We also fit in our annual Polar Express party even though Jeremy wasn't up to wearing his whole conductor outfit.

Jeremy did make our Christmas tree in time for Christmas.

 Jr. made us breakfast one morning.

Jeremy made us breakfast before church on Christmas Eve.

We got to visit some friends on Christmas Eve.  They gave us a pie plate or... pi plate.

We had our big Christmas Eve dinner

and Christmas Eve program

with our stockings hung by the fire (thank you, The Piano Guys, for the fire)

and the kids got to open up pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa to wear (they all loved them).

We had a white Christmas (even though Nichole had given up hope of having a white Christmas- she was pleasantly surprised).

We celebrated a friend's birthday with pizza, an R2-D2 ice cream cake, edible crafts for the kids, and pie in the face.

Jeremy did make a porg balloon for our friend (if you don't know what that is, watch the newest Star Wars movie- "The Last Jedi").  It went over well.

So that's what we've been doing- most of it in the last week and a half.
The End.

Ice Castles

Last night I didn’t write a blog post.  It was J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday so we put on one of the Lord of the Rings movies but I was celebrating a new holiday my mom told me about.  Festival of Sleep Day.  I slept on the couch while the movie was on.

Today, however, our whole family celebrated National Trivia Day.  We went up to the Midway Ice Castles to visit our friend, Brent.  Oh, it was so good to see him.  

He showed us around this year’s ice castle and told us some really neat information about it.  Perfect for the holiday.  We even found a spot that had a piece of trivia on a sign so we could take a picture.  

This was our first time seeing the ice castles at night.  It was so cool with the lights in the ice.

After exploring the ice castles, we got to visit Brent and his wife and youngest daughter.  Oh, it was so good to see all of them.  Brent used to be our home teacher while at the same time his wife was my visiting teaching companion.  Such great people.  We still remember when Brent built an ice castle in his backyard.  After that it really took off.  Now there are massive ice castles in several different states and even one in Canada.

Lucky had never been to an ice castle since the last time our family was able to go was when Lucky was a newborn so he and I stayed home while Jeremy took the other kids.  That was not long after The Piano Guys had filmed their Vivaldi’s Winter/Frozen video there. 

I mentioned that when we went this evening and Lucky kept asking where The Piano Guys were.  He was just sure we were going to see The Piano Guys there.  I had to let him know that they weren’t there but they had filmed a video at another ice castle like this one.  Then when we told him we were going to visit Brent’s house, he latched onto that idea.  “We’re going to visit our friends’ house,” and wouldn’t let us forget it.  He got upset a few times when he thought we weren’t going to go to their house.  We reassured him and he kept mentioning it.  He didn’t want us to forget to go there.  He was so happy.  He even gave Brent a hug when we were about to go home.  It was cute.  He definitely had a good experience tonight. 

I enjoyed it, too.  The last time I was able to visit these friends and go to the ice castles was before Jr. Jr. was born.  That was the first year they were doing it at Midway.  Wow, that was a while ago.

It was a great evening.  And the weather cooperated for us to head up there.  We got some snow yesterday morning and we’re supposed to have a winter storm, but we didn’t have any problems traveling to Midway today.  On the way home, we got a lot more snow through Provo Canyon, but we made it okay.  We just went somewhat slowly.  Jeremy and I both remarked how glad we were that we were able to go.  The ice castles are great and all (read: amazing), but what we really love is to see our friends.

Christmas Eve

Well, today was a big day just getting ready for Christmas.  I went out this morning for some quiet time.  I took some time for prayer and personal scripture study, things to invite the Spirit.  I also enjoyed looking at the snow covered mountains in the morning light.

I've been grumpy lately and the whole family has just been having trouble fighting and yelling and being mean to each other.  But not today.  When I got home, everyone was working especially hard to be nice to each other.  The kids were quick to say, "I'm sorry."  They did better at explaining why they were unhappy about something.  We all tried extra hard not to raise our voices unless it was absolutely necessary.  "No!  Don't touch that, Lucky."  It was much better because everyone put the effort in.
Lucky and Jr. helped me make breadsticks for our big Christmas Eve dinner.

The kids helped Jeremy decorate the tree. 

Jeremy made peanut butter fudge the other day and we all got to have some today.  Yumm.

The kids watched The Muppet Christmas Carol while Jeremy and I finished preparing dinner, including our traditional Sprite with candy canes.

So much food.  What a blessing.

In the evening we had our Christmas Eve program and scripture study. 

Before that, we hung up our stockings by the fire and danced to The Piano Guys Christmas music.

After opening presents from my visiting teachers, the kids had some pie and put out a cookie and a glass of milk for Santa.

After the kids went to bed, Jeremy finished decorating the tree. 

That's how our Christmas Eve 2015 was.  How about yours?